Understanding Client Servicing on Transport Contracts

The difference between getting and losing transport contracts from regular customers can be to do with how happy you’ve managed to keep one or two individuals in their offices.

Here are a few tongue-in-cheek tips that might help keep those all-important transport contracts.

• Identify who the key decision makers and influencers are. Managing to become great pals with someone who has no control or influence over whether you obtain future business might just be a waste of time from a business benefit viewpoint. • Find out what, if any, sports teams they support. Gloating after your team gave another a real thrashing might cause embarrassment if you subsequently discover that you were revelling in their misery!
• Don’t make assumptions about their likes and dislikes. Phrases such as “I don’t know how anyone could wear something as ridiculous as that” when mentioning a fashion trend over the phone, well, might be very risky.
• Be careful about ageist remarks unless you know their age, and even then it’s not advisable. Terminology use such as “old codger” might be business-terminal in today’s increasing so-called ‘silver workforce’ reality.
• Avoid jokes about religion, sex, race or politics, just as you would (hopefully) at a social event.• Stay humble. Boasting, bragging and self-aggrandisement still tend to run contrary to the prevailing background reserved British culture. Engaging in them might put a cross against you or your company’s name in their book.
• Be very cautious about flirting. You may think you’re God’s gift to women or men but unfortunately, not everyone is likely to agree with you. Flirting is seen by many as unprofessional and by some as downright insulting in a professional context. So, keep your charms to yourself – at least in a business contact environment.
• Don’t categorise people. Making statements that assume something about their sexual orientation or political beliefs might lead to sharp rebukes – and that’s no way to secure transport contracts for the future.
• Do try to get to know something about them but without being intrusive – you’re not running an inquisition. However, a little personal knowledge, if carefully obtained, can help keep relationships smooth.
• Treat them as a valued customer, which, after all, they are. There’s no need to be obsequious but, equally, don’t let them think you’re taking them for granted.
• Be quietly confident in your own abilities. Saying things like “it’s a complete shambles this end” or “I haven’t a clue what’s going on” might be evidence of truthfulness but inspire confidence it won’t!
• Get to them quickly if there’s bad news to communicate. Lying, evasion and ignoring a problem in the hope it will go away, are all recipes for disastrous business relationships. Keep them informed and don’t leave them to tell you what’s happening (or more commonly, not happening).
• Ask what they think about the way things are going. Don’t consider every negative observation to be a personal attack on your abilities and cause to respond with a defensive stinging comment or two about their shortcomings. What they think of you might be far more important to you ultimately than what you think of them.
• Meet them face-to-face periodically. A working lunch is a great way to cement relationships and paper over any cracks that might be appearing – within reason of course.
• Finally, make them think they’re a big fish in your pond, even if they’re not. Nobody likes to think their custom is peripheral to your business or listen to your stories about how big, powerful and really important many of your other customers are.

These are just a few tips to help you perhaps attract and retain those precious transport contracts.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day transport contracts in the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.